Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-07-30
BRAVE little ITRTDE

y "a pair OF eyes like stars and a.
! merry, thrifty way about her cal
:Eculated stosmakes O. man forgetstkat'
q tIlisis hard, work -a.day world,
full of yexation and diSappoint-
ment.
When Fannie and / were mar
ried we took Gertrude to live with
us; could not bear the thought of
The lovely girl going to meet the
world in some mental occupation,
and Fannie was thankful to have
her sister with her.
Gertrule-.Trnde" we always
called the dear chill-paid her way
| assure you.
After the birth of Baby Grace
she took the entire management Of
the household upon her young
shoulders, and though We never
kept a servant my wife scarcely
knew what it was to have a care HI
the world.
/, So we went on for a couple of
years as happy as birds in a nest,
making much of the blessings we
had, thinking little or nothing or
our privations.
Alas, l never, dreamed that the
first reverse would come to us
through me.
Yet, was | to be blamedi
Ever hard worker, one particu
lally hot summer 1 had double du-
ty to perform at the bank, and l
overtasked my ability.
i l remember falling with dull
crash beneath my desk one day,
anil it was weeks ere l was con-
scious that | lay at home in my
own bed, carefully tended by Fan
ME Trude.
1 had been stricken down with
brain fever, and the doctor had
said the struggle back to health
land strength would be long and
iserious, for my system was wholly
,Edebilitated by overwork.
After about six weeks, and 1 had
;been declared out of DANGER /
.awoke one evening, after taking a
Hong nap to find the room deep in
| twa.i and very silent.
I lay some time in a drowsy
state, when suddenly l was aroused
by the unmistakable sound of a
sob close by me, followed by the
low, earnest voice of Trude.
"Don't cry. Fannie, DEAR" she
said, soothingly, you'll wake him."
ooh, but, Trude, what are We to
dos" faltered my wife.
"We shall PULL through all right,
dear, never fear!' was the brave
reply.
'sBut every cent of the money is
gone! There's months rent due,
and no end of little outstanding
bills. Besides, the doctor won't be
coming much longer, and then, of
course, there'l be his bill"
Heaven help me! her words al
most killed mel
But even then little Trude was
equal to the occasion.
"We must make some money,
Fannie" she said firmly.
"Howi" in despair.
silt is the height Of the blackber-
~ season, and the fruit is unusual
ly fine. / shall 60 out at o'clock
tomorrow morning, pick several
quarts, and sell every one of them
at the hotels before noon. l shall
do the same as long as the berries
last; you will then see whether we
Can make little money OF not!'
| | could have arisen and fallen at
her feet in worship of her heroism;
but poor Fannie took life more ser
iously; she seemed proof against
Trude's hOpefulnesS.
"Oh, that could never succeed"
she sighed.
swell, Pm going to try, anyway
was the undaunted rejoinder.
After a short pause Fannie said,
suddenly:
"Trude, we are in desperate
strait; why couldn't ~ write to
Gerald Dayton a. ask him to
lend US some money!"
"Fannie!n
"Well, be was in love with you
before mother died; be is very rich,
and I'm positive you would have
been his wife today if you had let
him ask you; so why"
"Oh, hush! hush!" Gertrude cried
"Not a word more of that! Let me
have my own way. Believe me, l
shall succeed"
About 10 o'clock on the following
morning Fannie came TO me, all
dressed,up in her best, and, i'll a
nervous way, asked me if I. could
spare her for a couple of hours to
go into the village with Trude.
| knew in an Instant the black
berries had been picked and that
the dear girls were. going together
to try their fortune.
Rather than distress Fannie by
letting her know that I had over
heard their conversation of the
preceding evening, I assured her
thatI was perfectly comfortable
and urged her going.
AS they went down the garden
path l crept to the window and
looked after them.
Through the scalding tears that
gathered before my. eyes like film
|